Comedian Ralphie May Dies at 45

The Hollywood community is in mourning once again, as a beloved comedian has passed away far too soon. Comedian and actor Ralphie May, who is best known for taking second place in the second season of Last Comic Standing, passed away this morning at the age of 45. The comedian had been regularly performing in Las Vegas in the weeks leading up to his death, although he had recently been battling pneumonia as well.

TMZ first broke the news on the late comedian's death, reporting that he had been fighting pneumonia for the past six weeks, but he had still been keeping all of his scheduled. He performed at Harrah's in Las Vegas just last night, but he was found dead in a private Las Vegas residence this morning by one of the residents, who's identity was not revealed. The cause of death is said to be cardiac arrest, although it isn't clear if there will be an autopsy performed or not.

Ralphie May was born February 1, 1972 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but he was raised in Clarksville, Arkansas. He suffered 42 bones during a horrific automobile accident when he was just 16 years old, but he got the opportunity of a lifetime just one year later. At age 17, the young comedian won a contest that allowed him to open for his comedy idol, the late great Sam Kinison. When he was 17 he won a contest to open for comedian Sam Kinison. Sam Kinison suggested that he move to Houston, Texas, which he did, graduating from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston. He ultimately moved to Los Angeles to pursue his stand-up comedy career.

In 2003, Ralphie May got his big break, when he was chosen as a contestant on the NBC reality series Last Comic Standing in its second season. He made it all the way to the season finale, before ultimately taking second place, losing the top spot to Season 2 winner, Dat Phan. The exposure on Last Comic Standing lead to a number of stand-up comedy specials such as Just Correct, Girth Of a Nation, Prime Cut, Austin-Tatious, Too Big To Ignore, Imperfectly Yours and most recently his 2015 special Unruly. He also tried his hand at comedic acting, with roles in movies like For da Love of Money and The Best and the Brightest, along with small TV roles in Whoopi, Cubed, The Squidbillies and Inside Amy Schumer.

Ralphie May is survived by his ex-wife, fellow comedian Lahna Turner, and their two children, April June May and August James May. Ralphie May married Lahna Turner in 2005, but she filed for divorce in 2015, with TMZ reporting that Ralphie was "devastated by the split and the ensuing custody battle over their 2 kids." No details about a memorial service have been released at this time.